Presented at Open Nights Festival Vol. 10 in Larissa, Greece, 9 -19 October 2025
Theme: water / ύδωρ
photography section Catalogue/ Κατάλογος
Participation with the photographic series Water pools / Νερόλακκοι
Water pools along a walking path
Photographs, 2025
This series of photographs presents water pools observed by a walker looking around. The artist has been doing walking trails in this area, from village to village, for a few years before focusing on these pools. These are human-created according to specific rules – size, depth, position, etc. – that are set in order to ensure the biotope for amphibians, dragonflies, beetles, and several other sorts of bugs and microorganisms; some of them being endangered species. Flying-by birds and walking-by animals make use of the pools; grazing cattle are most welcome to these waters while fish are not, nor are humans unless they work for the maintenance of the pools. They are filled from earth and rain water, yet without human care these pools either dry out or fill with soil and detritus; they need to be cleaned from the swampy mud that forms in their bottom and be monitored about the quality of their water; the pools are documented and certified as biotopes. Among several surface waters in the area, varying in type, size, and purpose, these small scale still waters with their smooth surface, mirror the ever changing sky and the surrounding environment; a wonder to look for along the walking path. The presented photographs are made in Zeeland province, in south-west Netherlands and very close to the border with Belgium.
Νερόλακκοι
φωτογραφίες, 2025
Κατά μήκος της διαδρομής από χωριό σε χωριό στην επαρχία Zeeland της Ολλανδίας, μια περιπατήτρια φωτογραφίζει νερόλακκους – καθρέφτες του αενάως εναλλασσόμενου ολλανδικού ουρανού. Αυτοί οι νερόλακκοι (water pools) είναι φτιαγμένοι με συγκεκριμένες προδιαγραφές ως προς τη θέση, το μέγεθος και το βάθος, με σκοπό να διασφαλίσουν τη δημιουργία ενός βιότοπου για αμφίβια, λιμπελούλες, σκαθάρια, και άλλα είδη εντόμων και μικροοργανισμών, συχνά είδη υπό εξαφάνιση. Η δεξαμενή τους γεμίζει από βρόχινα και εδαφικά ύδατα, όμως χωρίς ανθρώπινη φροντίδα οι νερόλακκοι είτε ξηραίνονται είτε προσχώνονται. Περαστικά πουλιά και ζώα, καθώς και ζώα βοσκής, ξεδιψούν εδώ. Η παρουσία ψαριών είναι επιβλαβής και κατά συνέπεια ανεπιθύμητη, αλλά και οι άνθρωποι κρατούνται σε απόσταση εκτός αν προσφέρουν εργασίες συντήρησης.
Festival programme and info
Waterpools without water
In December 2025, on a rare sunny day with no wind nor rain, I walked the same path again from the coast of Cadzand to Sluis village (about 10 km). Some of the waterpools presented in the exhibition, photographed in February 2025, were now dry, a mere pit in the ground. Apparently their water level varies per season; next time I see them they will be filled again, I hope. This time, when photographing them, random cyclists threw a curious look toward my subject. You cannot see these pits if you don’t take that path and even less recognise them if you don’t know how they look like as waterpools. I find them spectacular either way.
